Culture Study Podcast

Why is Planned Parenthood telling you that you should lift heavy during your menstrual cycle? Why will no one shut up about protein? How many different ways can a company try and convince you it's not a diet when it's TOTALLY A DIET??? How have companies taken advantage of the actual gaps in research on women's bodies to sell us crap?

Journalist and elite distance runner Zoë Rom and registered dietitian Kylee Van Horn join the pod to break down how the women's fitness industrial complex convinces us of new health and training vulnerabilities (and then offers their products to fix them). This is one of those episodes that will piss you off and make you feel grateful that others are out here noticing how weird and manipulative these spaces can be.

Via the Planned Parenthood Instagram

Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode:

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE

Go to  https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.

Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/CULTURE and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/CULTURE

Show Notes:

Follow YOUR DIET SUCKS on Instagram here!!!

Listen to YOUR DIET SUCKS here

Find our more about Your Diet Sucks — including how to support them on Patreon — here

Find out more about Zoë Rom's other work — including her book on How to Become a Sustainable Runner — here

Follow Kylee / Fly Nutrition on IG here

Learn more about Fly Nutrition here

An example of the Planned Parenthood "how to exercise during what part of your cycle" messaging

My now quite old piece on yoga teacher training as an MLM

I reference the work of friend of the pod Virginia Sole-Smith; go check out her stuff!

You can find a transcript of the episode here

We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics:

HOW WE SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY — how we narrativize our lives, what's changed, what's weird, what's still important and keeping us on these apps... with the great Kathryn Jezer-Morton

WE'RE DOING A WHOLE FASHION SERIES! Submit any/all questions you have about viral clothing trends, plus-size thrifting and/or anything you want to ask Corinne Fay, author of Big Undies, or figuring out your style

HOW TO FIGHT! Priya Parker has a new book on how to actually disagree (fruitfully!) with others, so this is your opportunity to ask all those questions about the people in your life who shut down when you disagree / escalate unnecessarily / immediately throw straw-men your way ('people in your life' can also include you, of course)

All things CODE-SWITCHING with Ari Shaprio and Audie Cornish (how do you change your voice, your posture, your demeanor, your subject areas, the way you talk about reality television, whatever, depending on layered context)

Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment.

 

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two bonus episodes in two weeks, what is even happening! Well, The Odyssey happened — and after reading and writing about Matt Damon for this week's newsletter, I knew I wanted to talk and think more about the adaptation itself. Or, more specifically: the women of The Odyssey and Nolan's struggle to write women in his films. Oh, and their hair, of course — which is why Sarah Mesle, preeminent hair scholar, was the first person I emailed.

We have an upcoming episode of the regularly scheduled pod with Sarah all about her forthcoming book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity, but for now, enjoy as we talk about Calypso's balayage, what Circe's hair could've (and should've) done, how Nolan created a world without female armpits, and so much more. Just remember these bonus episodes are a bit more off-the-cuff and unpolished — we think of them as the beginning of a conversation, not the end. So let's continue in the comments!

(And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail dot com)

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I have aspired to be like Lindsay Crouse — professionally and personally — since the first time I figured out who she was. Killing it as an editor and writer at the New York Times opinion section. Absolutely wrecking expectations about how fast women in their 30s can be (re: running). If you're a high-achiever millennial, she was living that that life we all dreamed of.

Then a bunch of things in her life changed (I won't spoil them entirely here, but yes they involve difficult pregnancies and difficult physical recoveries) and she quit a bunch of things — and then wrote a book about quitting. In this episode, we have a wide-ranging conversation about what keeps us from quitting (especially but not uniquely high-achieving eldest daughters), who has the privilege to quit, and the actual science around quitting (and why most people should quit far earlier than they think).

We recorded this conversation two weeks ago, and I'm still rolling it over in my head — I think it'll have a similar effect on you.

Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode:

Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to:  https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE

Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase!

Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/CULTURE

Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box!

Show Notes:

Follow Lindsay on Instagram here

Pre-order The Case for Quitting here!

Find out more about Lindsay's work here

I reference the piece Lindsay wrote about getting really freaking fast in her 30s

Here's the short film The Queen of Basketball that Lindsay helped produce that WON AN OSCAR (it's streaming in full on YouTube, watch it!)

Another one of my favorite Lindsay productions: "Nike Told Me to Dream Crazy, Until I Wanted a Baby"

We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics:

HOW WE SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY — how we narrativize our lives, what's changed, what's weird, what's still important and keeping us on these apps... with the great Kathryn Jezer-Morton

WE'RE DOING A WHOLE FASHION SERIES! Submit any/all questions you have about viral clothing trends, plus-size thrifting and/or anything you want to ask Corinne Fay, author of Big Undies, or figuring out your style

HOW TO FIGHT! Priya Parker has a new book on how to actually disagree (fruitfully!) with others, so this is your opportunity to ask all those questions about the people in your life who shut down when you disagree / escalate unnecessarily / immediately throw straw-men your way ('people in your life' can also include you, of course)

All things CODE-SWITCHING with Ari Shaprio and Audie Cornish (how do you change your voice, your posture, your demeanor, your subject areas, the way you talk about reality television, whatever, depending on layered context)

 

 

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bonus eps are when we go deep on a cultural phenomenon, text, or celebrity that's overwhelming our feeds, charming our pants off, sparking general bewilderment, or, in this case, making us think long and hard about a text. When Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk texted Margaret to report that the new "woke" (don't worry, we discuss this designation at length) Little House on the Prairie was actually pretty good... I have to admit, I was dubious.

HOW. HOW COULD THIS BLATANTLY RACIST AGAINST NATIVES, this deeply engaged in MANIFEST DESTINY INDIVIDUALISM story be... good? Worthwhile? Useful? Yes, I devoured this whole series as a kid. But an adaptation now? I was envisioning Yellowstone for elementary students.

But listen: this Little House is doing something pretty interesting. It's not always successful. But you're going to have to listen to the episode to hear why. (Side note: Even if you haven't watched it and/or have no plans to, there's so much to think about re: adaptations and how to talk about this particularly foundational narrative to American history.)

(And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail dot com)

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

IF YOU NEED HELP ADDING YOUR SUBSCRIBER-ONLY FEED TO YOUR PODCAST PLAYER, JUST CLICK HERE!

Are you struggling to figure out the joys of your new home? Do you keep comparing it to a city you fell deeply in love with before? Maybe you're visiting a new city soon and just want tips on how best to appreciate its pleasures. Lilah Raptopoulos has spent so much time in her personal and professional life amassing tips on how to fall in love with a city — and this conversation is such a font of wisdom (about tourism, about living), with a ton of small, mid-size, and under-appreciated city boosterism. We talk about a bunch of US cities — but also a bunch of cities all over the world. I already know the comments on this one are gonna rule.

An aerial view of Cadiz, Spain (Marco Bottigelli, Getty Images)

Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode:

Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/CULTURE and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order.

Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/culture

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE

Show Notes:

Follow Lilah on IG here (she's one of my favorite follows) and learn more about her work here (a truly aspirational personal website)

Loved Lilah's guide to her home neighborhood of Red Hook

This is Lilah's third time on the pod! Listen to our previous episodes on Cooking in the Age of Infinite Recipes and Figuring Out How To Feel About 'With Love, Meghan'

You can find a backlog of Lilah's city guides for the Financial Times Globetrotter here

We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics:

HOW WE SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY — how we narrativize our lives, what's changed, what's weird, what's still important and keeping us on these apps... with the great Kathryn Jezer-Morton

CONVENIENCE CULTURE: From dinner to groceries to daily news to hailing a cab to finding a playlist-- we're used to getting a lot of things we want in a "convenient" way. What's that doing to us and our society? How have you embraced or eschewed convenience in your life?

WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like.

Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment.

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.